Building permits, zoning and septic in Borough of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

At a glance

Building permits

Required before UCC-covered residential construction; apply through borough Community Development¹²

Zoning

Borough zoning applies; Community Development enforces the zoning ordinance³²

Septic permits

Allegheny County Health Department approval before on-lot system construction⁵

Plumbing

County Health Department permits new or modified residential and commercial plumbing⁶

Owner-builder

No general statewide contractor license for most work; municipal requirements may apply⁷

Move-in

UCC-covered residential buildings need a certificate of occupancy before use⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Borough of West Mifflin, PA?

West Mifflin residential construction covered by Pennsylvania’s Uniform Construction Code needs a building permit before work begins.¹ The borough code contains a Uniform Construction Codes chapter, and Community Development receives, reviews and approves building construction and renovation applications.⁹² Limited work has state building-permit exemptions, but those exemptions apply only when the work does not violate another law or ordinance.¹ Ask Community Development to classify the proposed work before treating a small project as exempt.²

Who handles building applications in Borough of West Mifflin?

West Mifflin Borough Community Development is the starting office for building construction, renovation, occupancy, grading and sign applications.² Contact Community Development at 412-466-8170 or submit plans to Plans@westmifflinborough.com; the office is at 1020 Lebanon Road West Mifflin PA 15122.² The same department processes submissions to the Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board.² County Health Department plumbing approval is a separate step: the Plumbing Program permits and inspects new or modified residential and commercial plumbing installations.⁶ Ask the borough for the current building application checklist and project fee calculation.²

Does Borough of West Mifflin have zoning, lot sizes and setbacks?

West Mifflin has borough zoning; the absence of countywide zoning does not remove the borough’s ordinance.³ Community Development enforces West Mifflin’s zoning and land-development ordinances.² The borough’s online zoning map lets buyers search an address and click a parcel, and links to the district use table and dimension, area and bulk standards.¹⁰ Start with that parcel lookup, then ask the zoning office which district standards apply to the proposed home.¹⁰ We could not confirm district-specific minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage or minimum dwelling size; ask Community Development at 412-466-8174 before settling on a house footprint.¹⁰

How do septic and plumbing permits work inside Borough of West Mifflin?

For an on-lot septic system in West Mifflin, Allegheny County Health Department is the permitting authority, and county approval is needed before system construction.⁴⁵ County Sewage Enforcement Officers conduct on-site soil testing, review system designs and issue septic permits.¹¹ Borough building approval therefore does not replace the county septic review.²⁵ County plumbing plans must be approved and a plumbing permit obtained before plumbing work begins, with a final inspection required.¹² We could not confirm West Mifflin’s public-sewer connection requirement for a particular parcel; ask Community Development about connection obligations and Water Pollution Control about any proposed on-lot system.²¹¹

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Borough of West Mifflin?

We could not confirm permission to live in an RV, occupy a tiny home, camp temporarily while building or add an accessory dwelling in West Mifflin; ask Community Development to review the proposed use and parcel zoning.¹⁰ West Mifflin’s zoning ordinance exists, so do not treat an unanswered occupancy question as permission.³ A residential building covered by Pennsylvania’s UCC needs a certificate of occupancy before use, including a temporary certificate only where the building official finds the covered portion safe to occupy.⁸ Pennsylvania’s composting-toilet rules also require an on-lot system or other approved disposal method for washwater or excess liquid.¹³

Building a home in Borough of West Mifflin: what comes first?

1. Look up the parcel on West Mifflin’s zoning map and ask Community Development to confirm the proposed use and applicable district standards.¹⁰
2. Resolve the sewage plan: for an on-lot system, arrange county soil testing and design review before system construction.¹¹⁵
3. Submit the borough building application and obtain the required UCC building permit before covered construction; arrange separate county plumbing plan approval and a plumbing permit.²¹¹²
4. Keep permitted residential work accessible for inspections and notify the construction code official when work is ready.¹⁴
5. Obtain the residential certificate of occupancy before moving into a UCC-covered home.⁸

What should you check before buying land in Borough of West Mifflin?

Ask West Mifflin Community Development about subdivision or land-development review before buying land intended for a lot split; the borough has its own subdivision and land-development chapter.¹⁵² Development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs a municipal floodplain development permit or equivalent before work begins.¹⁶ Driveway construction in an Allegheny County right-of-way needs a county highway occupancy permit, while work on state highway land or connecting to a PennDOT drainage facility needs PennDOT approval.¹⁷¹⁸ For land outside West Mifflin, use the Allegheny County guide for county septic and plumbing responsibilities, then identify the parcel’s own municipality for building and zoning questions.⁴¹²¹⁹

Watch-outs

• West Mifflin RV living and tiny-home permission remain unconfirmed; ask Community Development about the exact use and parcel before buying.¹⁰
• Pennsylvania’s owner-builder licensing provisions do not remove UCC building-permit requirements for covered residential work.⁷¹
• County plumbing permits and borough building applications are separate approvals.⁶²

Sources

1. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
2. West Mifflin Borough Community Development (westmifflin.gov)
3. Borough of West Mifflin, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of West Mifflin), quoted and re-checked
4. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
5. Water Pollution Control, quoted and re-checked
6. Allegheny County Health Department — Plumbing Program (alleghenycounty.us)
7. Contractor Licensing (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Borough of West Mifflin, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of West Mifflin), quoted and re-checked
10. West Mifflin Borough Community Development — Zoning Map (westmifflin.gov)
11. Allegheny County Health Department — Water Pollution Control (alleghenycounty.us)
12. Project Plans and Permitting, quoted and re-checked
13. 25 Pa. Code § 73.65. Recycling toilet, incinerating toilet or composting toilet (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Part XIV, Uniform Construction Code, Chapter 403 Administration (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Borough of West Mifflin, PA Code of Ordinances (eCode360) table of contents (Borough of West Mifflin), quoted and re-checked
16. PennsylvaniA Floodplain Development Guide (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Permits and Licenses, quoted and re-checked
18. Apply for a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Local Registrations, Permits, Zoning (Pennsylvania statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.